Skating Towards Danger: A Mafia Hockey Romance – Dante’s Book (Mafia Hockey Series 2)

I grunt as I smack the puck into the net and Rhett curses when he misses the block, but I don’t stop to celebrate or bash him because fucker should have been able to get that, instead I skate back to the other end of the rink and snap, “again,” hoping I can get this fucking frustration outta my system before I explode.

My team listens to me while Coach Paul watches on, not correcting my tactics which I am grateful for.

My mind is scrambled after last night with Paige, and I need to get my frustrations out, this morning not doing it for me, so why not snap at my team and get them into shape for our game tomorrow night.

A brother, she had a fucking baby brother that she tried to cover with her own body to save at the age of eight.

No wonder why she struggled to be near Damian and wanted to forget that day.

I shake my shoulders and bend slightly, getting into position as I watch Adams go up against his backup Frankie. I can see from here he’s talking shit to him, trying to get a rise out of him and I sigh. Fucker is on his last leg recently and trying to start a fight on purpose is not going to win us fucking games.

Guess I should be happy Frankie isn’t taking the bait.

“Fuck, you’re riding us hard, Marino,” Timmons says as he skates next to me, breathing hard, and I hum and remind him, “Roman isn’t a part of this team anymore, and Adams is fucking up left right and center while having a big ass ego and we’re lucky to be able to win the four out of the five games we’ve played. I have to ride you all hard, so we stay as one, otherwise, we can kiss our winning streak goodbye.”

Timmons groans at the reminder, then nods and gets into position before we do the play again and another five more times, ensuring we know where we’re at before Coach blows his whistle and I shout, “Sprints!”

The boys all groan, but I ignore them and set the pace so they can keep up.

“Working them a little hard, aren’t you, little brother,” I hear Roman shout from the stands a few minutes later, and I grin, skidding to a halt, the boys copying.

I notice a few bend, trying to catch their breath making me chuckle but I soon cheer when I see Roman jump over the boards wearing his skates and the team cheers along with me while Adam freezes.

Let’s see how good he is and put him against the best of the best, shall we?

Roman fist bumps everyone as he skates over to me, and I raise a brow and ask, “So what do I owe this pleasure, big brother, craving a bit of fun?”

He chuckles and nods, then looks around before rasping, “Andrew’s body being found at the docks? Any idea how it got there? Because last I checked, he was walking around all high and mighty after Amy got an abortion.”

I shrug, not denying the fact I killed the fucker who lasted longer than he should have. I went after the fucker this morning after I dropped Paige off at work, not willing for more of her bad memories to be hanging around, and I couldn’t risk him going after her again.

Amy got an abortion. I’ve been keeping an eye on her, and she packed her shit at her friend’s place and moved three hours away, back in with her parents, so it’s not like he had a kid on the way anymore though killing him would still have been a blessing if she had kept her child.

“He tried to rape Paige two days ago,” I admit, and his eyes widen in shock, and I nod as the anger I felt seeing him trying to force himself on her before she pepper sprayed his ass comes back to me.

“Oh my god, what’s Roman doing back here?” I hear Caz gasp, and I’m not surprised she’s in the rink yet again.

According to Coach, she got put on probation, not quite sure why but she’s been put on a ban when the players are on the ice or in the locker room. She shouldn’t be in here, but the woman has staked a claim on me after I fucked her to get my head in order so I didn’t make Paige mine, and well that failed, and now she’s become a pest, like Amy kind of pest way.

Everyone ignores her as Roman murmurs, “Well, that explains why his cock was detached from his body and down his throat,” I smirk and reply, “Who knew choking on your dick can kill you,” and he chuckles but nods.

“Yo Roman, are you going to join us for a game?” Jacobs, our right winger, asks and Roman nods, causing the team to cheer again, and I chuckle.

The team doesn’t feel right without him, so his presence here right now is causing a lot of hype and I’m all for it.

Looking around the rink and seeing the men argue who gets to be on Roman’s team knowing I’ll be on it as well, I sigh and I admit, “The thing Dad was keeping from us, Peter had a four-month-old son, he died in the car,” Roman looks at me in shock, his eyes wide, and I say, “Paige tried to cover him with her body which is what caused her to hit her head and blackout. Eight years old, and she tried to save her brother,” I look at the boys getting ready and finish, “Her mom unclicked to try and save her children, which is why she was already dead when the fuckers got there, Paige saw her mother die and didn’t understand it until she got older.”

“Fuck me,” he stutters, “No wonder she was edgy with Damian,” and I nod and reply, “Yep and honestly Royal looks a little like Damian so it probably hit close to home for her and the fact she still held him, still allowed him to sit on her lap proves how far she’s come from that struggling teenager not wanting to live.

“Fuck,” he mutters and I hum and say, “Let’s go kick some ass. Adams seems to think his shit don’t stink.”

Roman blinks, looks at a nervous-looking Adams waiting in the middle of the ice, then back at me, and slowly smiles.

“Let’s go have some fun like the old days, little brother,” he says, and I grin and mumble, “Fuck yeah…”

I lean against my car and cross my arms over my chest as I watch the diner’s door, waiting for Paige to finish work.

Not only did the team relish having their old center and captain back for a few hours, but Roman, Rhett, and I worked as one, kicking Adams’s ass and putting him in his place while Frankie proved his worth.

Adams knows he’s got work to do, especially if he wants to keep his spot, and today proved that.

It was fucking awesome, though, skating with Roman again, I didn’t realize how much I missed having him around.

The door to the diner opens, getting my attention, and the waitress Andrew fucked a lot, walks out, and her eyes come my way. I watch as she takes me in from my feet to my waist. She pauses her steps and looks at the rest of me like a lion looking at his prey and then at my car then back at me.

Her eyes light up, and she bites her bottom lip and twirls her finger in her hair. I snort before the door opens again, knocking into her.

The waitress gasps and nearly falls on her ass, making me bite back a grin before I lock eyes with my girl, and my whole body melts at the look she’s giving me.

She’s in love with me, she all but admitted that last night, which is good because I’m going to need those feelings when she finds out I’m in the mafia and so was her father, and that was why her family was killed.

She’ll run, I’m expecting it, but I’m going to chase.

“Seriously, Paige, watch where you’re going!” the waitress snaps, and I narrow my eyes at the bitch, but Paige ignores her and shoves past her, her sole focus on me.

I smile as I push off my car just before she enters my arms. I catch her, lifting her a little, then press my lips against hers as she wraps her arms around my neck.

“Hey, little fairy,” I mumble against her lips, and her curves into a smile.

“What the hell?!” the waitress snaps but we ignore her.

“I missed you,” she admits, and I kiss her again before replying, “I missed you too.” meaning it as well.

I felt like a part of me was missing, and honestly, that is how I’ve felt since meeting her and she hasn’t been around, and that should have been the big eye-opener that I was fighting a losing battle.

She was always going to be mine.

“Seriously, you’re with her – her?” the woman snaps, and I tense, but Paige acts like she’s not even there as she runs her fingers through my hair and whispers, “We’re not just frenemies with benefits anymore, are we?”

I squeeze her to me, smile at her, and admit, “Little fairy, we were never frenemies with benefits. I just didn’t want to admit it.”

Paige presses her lips to mine, and I smile before kissing her back until a screech echoes, breaking us apart. Paige rolls her beautiful gray eyes, and I chuckle, letting her down before I open the passenger door and mutter, “You are staying with me tonight.”

She shakes her head, but a small smile plays on her lips, and she climbs into my car before I shut the door, salute at the waitress, and round the hood, climbing in myself.

I start my car, put it in drive, put my hand between Paige’s delicious thighs, and turn left out of the parking lot.

“Tell me about your day, baby. Was it a good one?” I ask as I indicate and change lanes.

Paige hums a little, but before she can speak, my phone rings, and I frown when I see Mama on the screen.

“Hold that thought, little fairy,” I say and answer my phone. Mama?” I ask, and her voice echoes in the car as she states, “Morgan’s given birth to a beautiful baby boy, she’s at St John’s!”

I grin and reply, “I’ll head right there,” then hang up and switch lanes again and mumble, “Guess Rhett was wrong about him swearing she’s having a girl.”

“Dante, if you uh drop me off at the nearest subway, you can call me later.” Paige says, and I snort, picking up speed. “Dante?” she questions with a hint of panic when I drive past one of the stations, but I don’t answer instead I squeeze her thigh giving her some reassurance.

I know she’s struggling to be around people who knew her parents, and I understand it, especially after she opened up but selfishly, I don’t want her out of my sight, especially since the Cartel has remained silent.

Twenty minutes later I pull up outside the hospital and park.

“I’ll wait here then, I guess,” Paige says with a little bit of a tremor, but I just grin and climb out, rounding the hood before opening her door.

I hold my hand out, and she looks at it, then at me, then back at my hand before sighing and taking it, allowing me to help her out of my car knowing I won’t leave her out here. I shut the door, wrap my arm around her waist, and whisper, “If you think I wouldn’t bring you with me, then you need your head examining, woman.”

She snorts and lays her head against my chest and allows me to guide her into the hospital.

I feel her tense, but I don’t stop, even as she whispers, “This is where I woke up, where Royal was born,” instead, I kiss her head and guide her through the doors and towards the elevator, helping her fight her past a little bit at a time.

It doesn’t take long before we’re in the maternity ward, and I swear, if Paige gets any tenser, she’ll become a statue.

“Dante,” I hear Dad call with happiness, and I look up to see him walking our way. Paige turns more into me, and I tighten my hold on her and his smile falters.

She’s doing good, I honestly thought she would have run by now.

“Paige,” Dad says with a little bit of shock and a hint of happiness when he notices her trying to bury into my side.

He looks at me, and I give him a smile. His grin that he had before seeing Paige returns and, if anything, looks wider before he clears his throat and says, “Uh, Paige, I uh.” Paige looks at him, hearing him stutter, and I tilt my head but soon soften as he mumbles, “I know I bring back a lot of memories, especially here, but can I, uh, can I just get a hug from my best friend’s little girl?”

I look at my girl and see her eyes tearing and when I think she’s about to decline and bolt, she nods once and moves out of my hold and into my father’s embrace. Dad squeezes her tight as he kisses her head, then whispers, “I know this is hard, and I know you’re struggling, but I’m so proud of you, Paige, for being here, allowing yourself to lean on Dante, and I’m proud of the woman you’ve become, and I know deep down in my gut, your parents and little brother will be smiling down at you.”

I hear Paige sniffle before she asks, “Even with my past mistakes?” and I stiffen.

Her mistakes are just that, mistakes. She was broken, and she fought hard and instead of being humiliated by them she needs to see how far she’s come, besides Roman and I were both players in high school and college. We probably make her look innocent.

“Paige, sweetheart, you did what you had to in order to survive. I promise you, your dad was my best friend, we were like brothers so when I tell you he would be proud of you, I’m telling you he would be proud of you,” Dad rasps. Paige nods before stepping out of his hold and into me, instantly, I wrap my arm around her waist.

Dad looks at me, and I give him a nod in thanks. He smiles sadly before asking, “Ready to meet the newest Marino?”

I chuckle but nod, and Dad turns, heading to Morgan’s room. I guide Paige with me, who again tenses, but I don’t stop. I promised her I’d help her, and I meant it.

She needs to see she can be around babies and young children and that they won’t die.

“Well, it’s about time you got here and met your newest nephew, Dante,” Morgan says as we enter her room before she notices Paige. Her smile widens as she sees my arm wrapped around her.

“I got here as soon as Mama called Morg,” I reply, and she shrugs before looking at Paige, whose eyes are on the baby in Morgan’s arms, awe but also fear etching from her.

“Paige, would you like to hold him?” Morgan asks, causing Roman to look up sharply towards Paige and then me, his mouth hanging open.

I guess he didn’t realize I brought her with me.

“I don’t think that’s wise. I’m not really good with babies,” Paige stutters, and Dad, Roman, and I are all tense.

Not knowing why Paige hesitates, Morgan gently smiles and says, “Honestly, you’ll be doing me a favor. He was a big boy, and I’m a little sore.”noveldrama

Dad tenses further and opens his mouth, but I give him a subtle head shake, making him frown at me. I ignore his look and mumble, “Go on, Paige, go hold him. I promise he won’t break.”

She looks at me, and I hate the fear shining off her, but I tilt my head to the baby with a small smile, and she watches me for a second before she sighs and reluctantly walks over to Morgan before extremely carefully taking my new nephew from his mama while Dad and Roman come and stand next to me.

“Emma and Damian with Mama?” I ask, and Roman hums in confirmation while Dad asks, “Son, why did you encourage her to do that?” I shrug, and he starts to vibrate with anger as he snaps lowly, “You don’t understand what you’ve done, what you’ve caused for her.”

“What’s his name?” Paige whispers, and I smile gently at her look of awe as she gently sways with the baby and my heat skips a beat.

Fuck I’m so proud of her.

“Luca,” Morgan says, and Paige nods.

“I know exactly what I’ve done, Dad,” I say and look at my father. As soon as we lock eyes, I state, “I just ensured she faced her fears and realized her touching that baby does not mean he’s going to die like her baby brother, that she’s not going to taint him like she believes she tainted Royal by trying to cover him to save him.”

His eyes widen in shock, and he stutters, “S-she told you…”

I nod once and walk over to my girl. I gently wrap an arm around her waist and place my chin on her shoulder, taking in the cute, chubby baby in her arms, who is looking at her with wonder. Instantly, I can picture this a few years down the road, her holding our child after competing on the ice, my ring on her finger, and it doesn’t scare me.

“He’s so precious,” Paige whispers, and I rasp back, “So are you, and I’m so proud of you, little fairy.” I kiss her neck and just enjoy having her in my arms while she gives her whole attention to the baby.

I can feel Morgans’s eyes on us, but I ignore her, and I ignore Romans, “Oh yeah, you two are def not fuck buddies,” mutter from across the room, not surprised that he knows we’ve been sleeping together. Instead, I hold Paige tighter and press my lips to her neck again, inhaling her scent, hating the smell of fry fat but loving the slight vanilla scent she normally smells of.

This girl is my everything. I knew it when we met, and I know it now. The only difference is that I’m not running away anymore.

I’ll do everything for her, even kill, and no one, not even herself, is going to keep me from having her always.